Abstract
THE fission process can be briefly described as follows. A neutron is captured by a nucleus of uranium 235, forming a nucleus of uranium 236 in a highly excited state. This immediately divides into two fragments of roughly equal mass, and at the same time from one to three neutrons are emitted (and also some ?-radiation). The fragments fly apart with considerable speed and, in their passage through matter, their energy of motion is finally transformed into heat. These fragments are, in general, unstable and may pass through a series of transformations, emitting ?-particles and ?-radiations, before they reach a stable configuration.
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CHADWICK, J. ATOMIC ENERGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS*. Nature 159, 421–425 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1038/159421a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/159421a0